In August 1995, Blur and Oasis released singles on the same day creating a media frenzy known as the “Battle of Britpop.” Blur’s single “Country House” beat out the Oasis single “Roll With It” in terms of sales. The record label for Oasis – Creation Records – made a statement offering reasons why but in the end Blur seemed to have the upper hand. There were other instances in the press where comments were made thus generating media buzz (whether real or manufactured) that there was a rivalry between the two Brit bands. In the end, both bands had massive success in their home country and released some of the best records of the 1990’s. Here is a summary of the chart and sales numbers for both bands. However, no matter the numbers, many will never sway from their opinion of their favorite band between Oasis and Blur.
Blur
Number of Studio Albums: 8
Gold Albums Certified in the UK (including Studio, Live and Greatest Hits): 5
Platinum Certified Albums in the UK (including Studio, Live and Greatest Hits): 5
Top 10 Singles in the UK: 13
Oasis
Number of Studio Albums: 7
Gold Certified Albums in the UK (including Studio, Live and Greatest Hits): 0
Platinum Certified Albums in the UK (including Studio, Live and Greatest Hits): 11
Top 10 Singles in the UK: 23
The Verdict:
Although Blur generated massive success in the UK during the 1990’s and 2000’s, they were never at the same commercial level as Oasis, Die hard Blur fans will forever argue that their band created better albums and songs and will never waiver from their stance, However, it is impossible to deny the commercial success Oasis has enjoyed in the UK and worldwide. In fact, Oasis has sold more than 70 million records worldwide. From 1994, with the release of the non-album single “Whatever,” through 2005, Oasis released 18 singles in the UK and every single charted inside the UK Top 5 – including 8 Number One Hits.
On the album front, all seven Oasis studio albums topped the UK Album charts with (What’s The Story) Morning Glory selling an astounding total of nearly 5 million copies in the UK alone and 22 million worldwide. In conclusion, despite the success of Blur, it is impossible to consider them winners over Oasis in the battle of Brit Pop. In fairness, no other band during this period could compete with the success Oasis achieved.
